Last month, Germany’s chancellor was in Washington, D.C. to remind the President that close ties between the U.S. and E.U. have been and will continue to foster peace and prosperity around the globe.
Coincidentally, I was in Germany to see firsthand how connections between Washington state and Germany are driving collaboration and innovation. I was with a delegation of government officials and business executives from Washington state. The trip was led and sponsored by the Seattle Chamber of Commerce and Greater Seattle Partners. Our brief, informative visits to Munich, Berlin, and Hamburg gave us an opportunity to compare notes on our economic development and sustainability initiatives — and this trip offered plenty by way of inspiration for future work in Seattle. The final stop was especially notable for Port of Seattle staff, given Hamburg is Germany’s largest port city and one of the primary gateways for European commerce.
Munich — the design capital of Germany
Munich’s museums reflect its long history of innovation and advanced manufacturing. From architecture and furniture to precision optics and automobiles, Munich-based designers have crafted some of the most iconic products of the 20th and 21st centuries. We were there to meet with leaders from the city’s makers district and the Technical University of Munich (TUM).
With open and accessible high-tech workshops, the city and university have come together to provide innovators and entrepreneurs with a space in which their teams can build prototypes and run small-scale productions with metal, wood, textiles, 3D-printed materials, and electronics.
Our own Maritime Innovation Center (MInC) is currently under construction in Fishermen’s Terminal. The transformation of the Port’s historic Ship Supply Building into one that meets the highest “living building” standards is an acknowledgment that our maritime roots run deep and long. The MinC is set to open next summer with its anchor tenant, Maritime Blue, and their Blue Ventures program, an accelerator to help startups grow and make the maritime industry more sustainable. Major investments like these reflect the Port’s commitment to creating jobs of the future in the Blue Economy.
Berlin — a home away from home for Washington state’s global companies
From Munich we traveled to Berlin to meet with officials from the U.S. Embassy, including current Chargé d'Affaires Alan Meltzer, German elected officials, and business executives. The Americans at our embassy spoke candidly about how valuable America’s alliance with Germany has been and continues to be, from both a security and a commercial standpoint. Over the last few decades, the country has become a sort of home away from home for some of Washington state’s biggest corporations, including Microsoft, T-Mobile, and Boeing.
It’s impossible not to think of history walking through Berlin. This city is suffused with history. Reminders of the ravages of World War I, World War II, and the Cold War can be seen in the buildings, memorials, and museums throughout the city. Walking through the Holocaust Memorial and along the remains of the Berlin Wall reinforced for me just how fragile the ties between people and nations can be, and how destructive it can be to break those ties.
Several of the Germans I spoke to on the trip expressed their concerns to me regarding President Trump’s vociferous attacks on immigration and his denigration of America’s universities, free press, and other organs of civil society. Coming from a country that reckoned with a dark chapter of dictatorship and fascism, their words were striking.
Hamburg — a true port city and a good neighbor
Our tour ended in Hamburg, Germany’s largest seaport and the third largest in Europe. With intermodal connections to cities across Scandinavia, Europe, and Asia, Hamburg is known as the gateway to the world, the “Tor zur Welt.”
Hamburg is making tremendous progress toward becoming a truly green port. The northern city is on the leading edge of technology that can decarbonize the maritime sector. Given the industry contributes 3% of global carbon emissions, this is vital to the fight against global warming. In addition to expanding the availability of shore power at its largest terminals, Hamburg has a major pipeline network for hydrogen and is also developing the ability to deliver ammonia and LNG for ships to run on.
Hamburg’s climate initiatives are part of a broader drive to help the city thrive and engender the support of surrounding communities by elevating their awareness of its economic role and desire to be a good neighbor.
Hamburg isn’t just a city with a port — it’s a true port city. By hosting boat tours and waterfront events with food and entertainment, the port has adopted a kind of “bratwurst and beer strategy” for public relations. That has helped it to maintain the goodwill of Hamburg’s residents, who implicitly provide the port with a “social license” to operate.
For the trip’s closing panel discussion, I spoke about what it will take for Seattle to remain a port city for generations to come. In short, it will take collaboration. Hamburg is a model for how a port and a city government can work together to bolster the local economy, create good-paying jobs in the maritime industry, and lead the fight against climate change by building out infrastructure for sustainable fuels.
The Port of Seattle will continue to work with our partners at the City of Seattle to achieve those same goals. Our role is to help businesses and people in Seattle and throughout the Pacific Northwest to thrive. Supporting all these elements simultaneously — economic, cultural, environmental — is what it means to be a good neighbor. And maybe it’s time to emulate the Port of Hamburg’s “bratwurst diplomacy” by hosting waterfront block parties more often.
Seattle isn’t just a city with a port — we’re a port city
Glaciers formed many sheltered deepwater harbors in the Puget Sound region, making it a natural gateway for trade, with canoes being the first freighters. We continue to stock Alaska’s grocery stores and provide homeports for fishing boats and cruise ships bound to Alaska. While we’re called the Port of Seattle, along with the Port of Tacoma we are a critical gateway connecting U.S. and Asian markets.
However, being bestowed with this gift of nature does not ensure we will always be a port city. Maintaining the Port of Seattle’s “social license” to be an innovative creator of green jobs is a primary reason for my service on the Commission. That’s what motivates my interest in public service here at the Port. And as our city’s economy continues to diversify and grow, it is more important than ever for the Port to show how it contributes to our city’s prosperity. Shipping, aviation, fishing, and tourism continue to be vital to our city’s economy — and we remain committed to facilitating that work. At the same time, I recognize that the Port Commission has a tremendous opportunity to help bring benefits to the quality of life and environment of all who live here.
Given the current headwinds buffeting trade and tourism in the U.S., caused largely by unpredictable tariff policies and challenges to other nations’ sovereignty, we continue to work closely with partners in our nation’s capital, including leaders like Senator Maria Cantwell, to protect free and fair trade, and to promote Seattle as a place that warmly welcomes travelers.
Free and fair trade has helped generate tremendous prosperity and fostered greater peace around the world. That benefit of trade and commerce should not be ignored. Throughout my time in Germany, I was reminded of the saying attributed to the French economist Frederic Bastiat, “When goods don’t cross borders, soldiers will.”
Photo at top: Hamburg is one of the largest trade gateways in Europe
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